Biotechnology

The work of biotechnology touches on many areas such as:

- agriculture and food production - preventive health - treatment and diagnosis of disease - energy production - environmental protection

Types of medical forensics include:

- blood analysis and sampling. - paternity testing. - DNA fingerprinting. - toxicology.

Uses of biotechnologies:

- diagnosis of disease using genetic testing - gene therapy for the treatment of disease - pharmaceuticals for the prevention and treatment of disease - medical devices for the diagnosis and treatment of disease

Other examples of medical devices include:

- gastric bands, which reduce the size of the stomach to aid in weight loss. - hearing devices (cochlear implants) that are implanted in the head to restore hearing in those with structural damage to the ear. - metal hips for people whose hip joints are worn out or damaged from injury.

Some areas of biotechnology that are emerging are:

- tissue engineering and regenerative medicine - bioelectronics and robotics - personalized medicine

Medical forensics might be used:

- to determine if drugs were involved in someone's death. - to identify a child's father in a child support case. - to find the source of illness in a foodborne disease outbreak.

Which are examples of biotechnology? Check all that apply. a. using antibiotics to treat an infection b. using yeast (a microorganism) to make beer c. using gasoline to make a car run d. designing specialized sneakers for running

a and b - Biotechnology involves living things. Therefore, using antibiotics to treat infection, and using yeast to make beer, are examples of biotechnology. Sneaker design and using gasoline to run a car involve technology, but not biotechnology.

Which are bioethical concerns about DNA databanks? Check all that apply. a. Storing information about someone's DNA may be an invasion of privacy. b. Databanks may change the way police work. c. Taking information about someone's DNA without their permission is a civil rights issue. d. Information from databanks can be retrieved by anyone.

a and c

medical forensics

a branch of forensics that is related to human injury, disease, or death

luminol

a chemical that reacts to the iron in blood

antibody

a component of the immune system that detects harmful agents in the body

DNA databank

a database that saves DNA profiles of felons and other people who have been arrested

DNA fingerprinting

a method of analyzing small pieces of DNA from a sample to see if they match a specific individual

human genome project (HGP)

a research study funded by the US government with the objective of identifying all the DNA in human genes

skin graft

a surgical procedure that transplants skin tissue onto damaged areas of the body, such as on a burn

toxin

a thing that is poisonous

Which of the following methods are examples biotechnology used to assist blood analysis in medical forensics? Check all that apply. a. the use of luminol to determine if blood was present b. the use of blood typing to narrow down suspects c. the use of DNA fingerprinting to see if a blood sample matches a specific person d. the use of antibody testing to predict negative reactions to medications

a, b, and c

Which are areas that have been advanced by biotechnology? Check all that apply. a. medicine b. commercialism c. agriculture d. environmental protection e. manufacturing

a, c, and d

Why does genetic therapy cause bioethical concerns? Check all that apply. a. There were unexpected deaths in gene therapy experiments. b. Gene therapy could be used to create a "perfect" baby. c. Some people think it's wrong to alter a person's DNA. d. There are concerns about unintended consequences of altering DNA.

a, c, and d - There are many potential applications of gene therapy, but there are also bioethical concerns about it. Some people believe it is wrong to alter a person's DNA even if it will cure them of an illness. Other people worry about unintended consequences of altering DNA.

_________ is the study of right and wrong as it relates to biotechnology. a. bioethics b. morality

a. bioethics

Which factor might be determined by genes? a. the risk of getting certain diseases b. the risk of getting in a car accident c. what language someone speaks d. the length of someone's hair

a. the risk of getting certain diseases - Genes are pieces of inherited information in DNA. Some genes are responsible for causing disease.

Biotechnology has existed for thousands of years. Which is an example of biotechnology? a. use of antibiotics to treat infection b. running a computer program c. using a cell phone to call a doctor d. using animals to help combat depression

a. use of antibiotics to treat infection

paternity testing

an analysis that determines who a person's father is

Which of the following are applications of genetic engineering? Check all that apply. a. identifying types of cancer b. creating vaccines to prevent illness c. identifying the type of microorganism causing an infection d. producing hormones to treat certain diseases

b and d

Select the scenarios that describe a use of bioelectronics. Check all that apply. a. use of gene therapy to treat or prevent diseases b. a prosthetic arm that uses rocket fuel as an energy source c. use of a special new adhesive to heal wounds d. a device that uses electrodes to detect signals being sent from the brain to the vocal cords and converts the message into audio on a phone

b and d - A prosthetic arm that uses rocket fuel as an energy source and a device that can detect messages sent from the brain and convert it to audio are both real examples of recent advances in bioelectronics.

Which are examples of biotechnology aiding tests in medical forensics? Check all that apply. a. fingerprinting b. DNA fingerprinting c. using luminol to detect blood d. testing blood to determine blood type e. using antibodies to test rabbit blood

b, c, and d

Genetic engineering can be used to: a. create a "perfect" baby. b. produce insulin to treat diabetes. c. replace a person's missing limb. d. locate blood at a crime scene.

b. produce insulin to treat diabetes.

Gene therapy works by a. exercising defective genes. b. replacing defective genes with working genes. c. eliminating defective genes. d. teaching defective genes to fix themselves.

b. replacing defective genes with working genes. - Gene therapy replaces defective genes with working genes. There have been many hurdles in the development of genetic therapies, but there are now a number of effective gene therapies that are expected to be approved for treatment soon.

Recent innovations in biotechnology include a wheelchair that can learn to follow directions and prosthetic limbs that provide feedback to the user so they can sense where the limb is. These are examples of advances in which area of biotechnology? a. restorative engineering b. robotics c. personalized medicine d. nanotechnology

b. robotics

Drug use is suspected in the death of a young woman. Which test should investigators perform to determine if their suspicion is correct? a. DNA fingerprinting b. toxicology tests c. blood type analysis d. genetic testing

b. toxicology tests

Because experiments can have _____________, it is important to consider all possible outcomes before experimentation begins. a. incorrect hypotheses b. unintended consequences

b. unintended consequences

How does modern paternity testing work? a. It analyzes the blood type of father and child. b. It compares the antibodies of father and child. c. It compares the DNA of father and child. d. It analyzes body fluids of father and child

c. It compares the DNA of father and child. - Modern paternity testing involves comparing samples from father and child to see if they share DNA. Because a child gets DNA from both parents, about half of the child's DNA should match the father's.

Personalized medicine would have which of the following applications? a. treating a wound with new adhesive b. testing a fetus for abnormalities c. customizing a patient's cancer treatment based on genetic tests d. fitting a prosthetic arm to a patient

c. customizing a patient's cancer treatment based on genetic tests

Medical devices can improve the quality of life for people with physical issues. Which of the following is an example of a medical device that can help a patient? a. replacing a defective gene with a working one b. use of chemotherapy to treat cancer c. a cast on a broken leg d. a hearing device implanted in the ear to restore hearing

d. a hearing device implanted in the ear to restore hearing

What is genetic engineering? a. a test to determine if genes are defective or not b. the use of genes to pass on traits to offspring c. the elimination of genes from DNA d. the manipulation of DNA to produce a desired outcome

d. the manipulation of DNA to produce a desired outcome - Genetic engineering is the manipulation of DNA to produce a desired outcome.

Which of these is an example of an advance in regenerative medicine? a. using drugs to cure cancer b. testing a fetus for abnormalities c. replacing a defective gene with a functional one d. using a special tube to help the heart heal

d. using a special tube to help the heart heal - Restorative medicine centers on helping the body heal from disease or injury. There are many examples of recent advances in this field, including use of a special type of tube to open up clogged arteries.

deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)

the building block of life; the blueprint that makes all organisms what they are

gene therapy

the identification of a defective gene that causes disease, and the introduction of a working gene to replace the defective one

biotechnology

the intersection of biology and technology; the field of science that uses the study of living things to create processes or systems to solve problems

genetic engineering

the manipulation of living cells or the human genome to produce a desired effect

toxicology

the study of compounds that can have a negative effect on humans, animals, and the environment

biology

the study of living things, including plants, animals, and microorganisms

ethics

the study of morality, or the difference between right and wrong

bioethics

the study of questions of morality related to biotechnology

bioelectronics

the use of electronics in living things

forensics

the use of science to answer questions that might have legal implications

genes

tiny pieces of biological material that are passed from parent to child and that determine a person's inherited characteristics, such as eye and hair color